I was 'lucky' enough to be stranded on the Big Island on September 11. I went out to see the lava flow that night and enjoy a little local produce. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life.(Apologies to anyone stuck at JFK or LAX)

AverageAmericanGuy:dbirchall: AverageAmericanGuy: As pretty as those shots are, the lava isn't flowing now. You really need to have some luck to see the lava for yourself.

Uh, yes it is... it's just flowing slowly through the forest toward some subdivisions. You don't need luck, you need a helicopter.

I like the shots with the waves - that's a pretty original approach. The ones just showing lava pouring into the water, everybody on the island has done before.

When confronted with the sheer terror of a volcanic eruption, I always tended more toward the "Price is Right Showcase Showdown" approach... AND THAT'S NOT ALL, your showcase includes MOLTEN ROCK!

[img.fark.net image 600x400]

When was that taken? I was out there in April and the lava was most definitely NOT anywhere to be seen.

My photo's a decade old. Like I said, it's flowing through forests toward some subdivisions now, and you need a helicopter to see it, basically. That was true in April and any other recent month too. They call it the Kahauale'a 2 flow, and it's been going on since sometime last year, when it took over from the flow down to the ocean near Kalapana. (Oh, yes, by the way, the photos in TFA are not new.) It's the red part on this map.

They mention near scolding hot water.. How is that possible with such a large volume of water surrounding, a relatively small dumping point of lava (in comparison to the volume of water surrounding it).

I'm guessing (want confirmation) is the current is so slow it can't bring in cooler water faster than the heat from the lava can raise the temperature?